The Story Set in the Fictional Town of Starfish Cove on the Oregon Coast Uncovers Family Secrets, Brave Girls & Spectacularly Bad Weather
Dancing Moon Press announced The Sixth Storm, written by award-winning author Kim Cooper Findling and her teenage daughter, Libby Findling, releases March 1. This mystery, inspired by the unpredictable Coastal Oregon weather, is their first collaboration. The story is riddled with Oregon-centric themes and familiar landscapes where the main character Skye takes readers on a thrilling journey…
Every January, Skye Clancy’s mother slips into despair on the anniversary of a devastating storm that claimed her sister. But no one is allowed to talk about it, or any of the other strange deaths that have haunted the family. This January, days before Skye’s 14th birthday, a new set of vicious storms are unleashed upon her small Oregon Coast town. Clues begin to appear, and Skye realizes that the weather is tormenting her family above all others, and has been for decades. As a family legacy of death and destruction by terrible weather is revealed, and in the face of nature’s fury, Skye embarks on a journey into the wild woods of Oregon — and into the past — to solve the mystery and reverse the curse.
“One night as I was putting Libby to bed she said something incredible about the tumultuous weather that set the whole book in motion,” says Kim. “Libby was my catalyst, muse and editor, and writing a book with her was a total blast.”
“I loved creating this mystery with my mom,” says Libby. “Our main character can be introverted, but she is also strong and independent. There is a looming fear of death hanging over the family, and Skye takes up the challenge to figure out what is going on.”
Kim and Libby spent two years writing the book and pitching it to agents and publishers. In that process, the opportunity to purchase a small book publishing company came up and Kim could not refuse. So in addition to releasing this book, Kim will help hundreds of authors realize their dreams of publishing their own work through Dancing Moon Press, a 22-year-old Oregon independent book publishing company.
The Sixth Storm book launch party will be hosted March 5 at 5:30pm at Joolz restaurant in Bend. Kim and Libby will begin a speaking tour this spring with stops at the World Muse Conference, Roundabout Books, Deschutes County Public Library, Bend-La Pine School District locations and other great local bookstores in the Pacific Northwest. For a schedule of appearances visit KimCooperFindling.com.
Kim Cooper Findling is an Oregon Coast native, a fifth-generation Oregonian, the publisher of Dancing Moon Press, an editor for Oregon Media and the author of Bend, Oregon Daycations: Day Trips for Curious Families, Chance of Sun: An Oregon Memoir and Day Trips from Portland: Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler.
Libby Findling is a sixth-generation Oregonian and a student in Bend. She is an accomplished actor, musician, comedienne, writer and storyteller. She loves rivers, rain, wandering the forests of Oregon and jamming out to blasting music. In the future, she hopes to create songs, films and more books.
“Skye’s search for answers to the peculiar weather lashing her coastal town leads her down a dark path, where she’s forced to confront her family’s tragic past. The story’s grip tightens as every discovery leads Skye closer to the edge, leaving the reader to wonder if finding the truth will be the last thing she ever does. A captivating read laden with perils of both the natural and supernatural, balanced with good old-fashioned adventure and heart.”
~ S.A. Bodeen
Author of The Raft
“The paranormal curse in the Findlings’ The Sixth Storm resonates precisely because the other elements of the story feel so real. Starfish Cove may be fictional, but I’ve driven through a dozen towns like it on the Oregon Coast, and Skye may be fictional, but we’ve all known a tenacious young person who refused to give up in the face of difficulties adults couldn’t fully understand. This novel will make you feel like you’re trapped in a house on the Oregon Coast during an epic storm, and the story is so intriguing, you’ll be glad you’re there!”
~ Benjamin Gorman
Author of Don’t Read This Book and the bestseller Corporate High School